Dental Care

Article submitted by Appanasha Pet Clinic.  Located in Appleton and Menasha.  For more information call 920-725-8307.

It's always important to remember to have your pet get regular dental cleanings and maintain your pet's clean teeth with at home care, but now especially is a great time to have your pet's teeth cleaned as we are offering 15% off of dental cleanings scheduled now through March 31st, 2008.  

Dental Health Should be High Priority for Your Pet

When I first started writing about the importance of taking care of a pet's teeth, the response I most often heard was one of astonishment. "I'm supposed to brush my dog's teeth?" pet lovers would say. "You're kidding, right?"

These days, pet lovers respond not with surprise, but with guilt. "I know I should brush my pet's teeth, but I don't because my cat won't put up with it," they say. Or they don't have time, or they forget.

And so ignorance becomes guilt. Now that's progress! And the next step: good dental health from the very beginning.

Veterinarians now recommend training kittens and puppies to accept having their teeth brushed, a job that's not really that hard even with older dogs and cats. Approach the task with a positive attitude, take it slow and easy, and then follow with something the pet likes -- a play session or even a food treat.

For kittens and puppies, the focus is on training and prevention, but adult pets may need veterinary attention before a preventive-care program can help. Your veterinarian should check your pet's mouth, teeth and gums during the annual physical, and make recommendations based on what he or she finds there. For many pets, that'll mean a complete dentistry under anesthesia. The procedure takes 45 minutes to an hour, and involves not only cleaning and polishing the teeth, but also checking for and treating broken or rotting teeth, cavities, abscesses and periodontal disease.

Today's anesthetics are dramatically safer than even a few years ago, making the dangers and pain of untreated dental problems the bigger risk to health, even with older pets.

After the problems are treated, at-home care can keep things in good shape. Here are some tips:

-- Brush or wipe the teeth regularly. Use a toothpaste designed for dogs and cats a couple of times a week at least, although daily is better.

Salt or baking soda isn't recommended because too much of the salt gets swallowed, and with small pets that could be a problem. Toothpaste for people is likewise out, because animals don't know how to rinse and spit. Pet toothpastes contain enzymes that help dissolve plaque and don't need to be rinsed. They also have a flavor pets appreciate.

Use a children's soft toothbrush or one made especially for pets. You can also use plain gauze wrapped around a finger or a fingertip brush. Some vets suggest that gauze may work better with cats, especially if dipped in tuna or clam juice first.

-- Switch to dry food and offer teeth-cleaning toys. Some pet-food companies now offer kibble with a mild abrasive texture to help keep teeth clean. You might ask your vet about these if tartar buildup is a chronic problem for your pet.

Soft chew toys and a chew rope can help keep teeth clean, too. Avoid chews that are hard or are prone to breaking into sharp pieces. These can break teeth or slice gums.

My own perspective on good dental care comes from my oldest dog, Andy, who'll be 14 in June. Although I admit I've been sporadic with the brushing over the years, I've made sure Andy has had dental cleanings under anesthesia on an annual basic well into his senior years. Instead of the smelly painful mess of a mouth that so many older dogs have, Andy has a every tooth he was born with, all in fine shape. No doggy breath, no problems eating. He's a healthy, happy dog, despite his advanced age.

Andy is the first of my dogs to get the best of preventive health care from the day he was born, and it shows.